CARDIOPULMONARY resuscitation (CPR) and emergency cardiac care (ECC) have the same goals as all other medical interventions—to preserve life, restore health, relieve suffering, and limit disability. An additional goal unique to CPR is the reversal of "clinical death." However, in providing CPR these goals are often not achieved. Moreover, the provision of resuscitation may conflict with a patients's own desires and requests or may not be in the patient's best interest.¹Like other medical therapies CPR and ECC have specific indications and contraindications. In certain circumstances CPR can be predicted to be unsuccessful and may be considered futile. In certain instances CPR may not be a wise or just use of limited medical resources. However, concern about costs associated with prolonged intensive care should not preclude emergency resuscitative attempts. The purpose of this section is to guide ECC providers in making difficult decisions about starting and stopping CPR and
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A 1992 study studied this question.